


Gratitude

by brooksey



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Canada, Canadian Thanksgiving, F/M, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Holidays, Love, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 22:43:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2445884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooksey/pseuds/brooksey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaidan brings Shepard home to his family for Thanksgiving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gratitude

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt on the kinkmeme that wanted to see some Kaidan/Shepard fluff, celebrating Thanksgiving (specifically, Canadian Thanksgiving).
> 
> **Rating Note:** This piece is mostly fluff of the happy family/holiday variety, crossed with love fluff because I am me and I couldn't help myself. Rated E for some post-holiday sexytimes that made their way in towards the end. Let me know if it should be M instead.
> 
> Original prompt:  
> "I see a lot of Thanksgiving fics in November, but it always bugs me to see a Spacer or Colonist Shepard wanting to celebrate the American Thanksgiving, because... why
> 
> SO, I'd like to see a Spacer or Colonist Shepard who's in a relationship with Kaidan, and have Kaidan introducing them to the Canadian Thanksgiving (second Monday of October). (It's not much different from the American Thanksgiving, I think, only I've never once seen "pilgrims" brought up, which is one of the reasons I'm always thrown off on American Thanksgiving stories. But anyway, it's about family and good food. Lots of "harvest" themed decorations, fall colours, etc)
> 
> Slight preference for mShep, but not at all opposed to fShep. Also slight preference for custom Shep, but not opposed to default.
> 
> Just make it fluffy and cute! The usually Thanksgiving type things, good food, friends, sap, etc. If so inclined, feel free to add post-celebration smut, but it's not required."

The first thing Shepard becomes aware of in the morning is that everything is far too bright for her taste beyond her closed eyelids. Slitting them open, she sees daylight filtering in through gauzy white curtains, dust motes spinning and dancing as they cross the shafts of light from the window on gentle currents of air.

Not ready to get up, she shuts her eyes against the light and burrows back into her pillow, pulling the fluffy quilt tighter around her to ward off the slight chill of the room. She's so warm and so comfortable that she begins to doze off again, only to be disturbed by the sound of creaking floorboards in the upstairs hallway of the orchard house. Someone's walking into the room behind her, coming nearer. A frown crosses her face and she tries to block the sound out, but she's dragged to the surface at last when the heavenly aroma of fresh coffee hits her nose.

Cracking her eyes open once more, she sees Kaidan crouching next to the bed, his face hovering in front of hers. Bare chested and sporting a worn pair of sweats that hang low on his hips, he's holding two steaming mugs between them and blowing on them softly, sending the smell her way to tempt her into wakefulness. 

By the time she's got her eyes fully open, he's grinning at her; he knows how devoted she is to her morning coffee. She props herself up on her elbow and gratefully accepts the mug, sipping carefully as he does the same with his own.

"Morning, Shepard," he smiles. "You ready for your first Thanksgiving?"

She shrugs minutely and gives him a small smile, running a hand through her chin-length dark brown hair. "Ready as I'll ever be for your mysterious Canadian holidays."

He waves a dismissive hand at that. "There's nothing mysterious about it. It's just family getting together, celebrating the harvest and showing our gratitude for everything we have. And we do that by eating a delicious and enormous dinner." 

"Fine," she concedes, "but can I at least wake up first?"

Setting his mug down on the creamy yellow runner covering her nightstand, Kaidan moves to kneel on the floor, the old bed groaning slightly when he leans on the edge. "And what can we do to help with that, I wonder. First, hot coffee; next..." He trails off and his expression becomes mischievous. "How about a hot shower, _Commander Alenko?"_

Shepard makes a face and puts her own cup down next to his, turning to give him a look of chagrin that she can't quite make convincing. "Are you flirting with me, _Major?_ And I thought we already agreed that I'm keeping my name."

Kaidan heaves a melodramatic sigh, and she can't help but smile again. Despite the theatrics, he's obviously still glowing after having proposed last night before they'd left the city to come here; she understands completely, because it's the same way she feels. In one quick motion, he stands and sweeps the covers back; a moment later, he's scooped her into his arms, one under her knees and the other behind her back, and is walking them towards the small bathroom.

"At least let me carry my bride over the threshold, then," he laughs.

One finger in the air, she lectures him playfully. "Bride? You've got everything in the wrong order, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to actually get married first."

He gives her an exaggerated eye roll and a deep kiss as he steps through the doorway onto the clean white tile and kicks the door closed behind them.

***

Freshly showered and finally awake, Shepard and Kaidan dress for the cool weather: jeans and hiking shoes, long sleeves and a quilted vest for her, a light jacket for him. They make their way down the narrow, steep staircase that creaks and cracks with every step; Shepard holds the polished banister the whole way down, enjoying the feel of the wood that has been worn perfectly smooth over time. 

Before she can even see into the hallway on the first floor, she hears the metallic clang of pots and pans and the clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. Rounding the corner, it's clear that Kaidan's mother has to have been up and hard at work on the Thanksgiving spread for hours already.

"Morning, Mrs. Alenko — do you need help with anything?" The number of things cooking simultaneously seems like far more than one person can handle.

"Good morning, and for the last time, it's either Diana or Mom," she says good-naturedly. "I've got this covered, but thank you. Did you sleep well, Mira?"

Kaidan announces that he's arrived in the kitchen by chuckling when he hears Shepard's first name, a name she allows nobody other than his mother to use. Unfortunately for him, the sound focuses all attention his way, at which point he is caught red-handed lifting the lid off a bubbling pot and dipping a fork in to sneak a sample of its contents. Diana's long wooden spoon raps him hard on the knuckles and he drops the lid back into place, flinching.

This time, Shepard has a laugh at his expense as he rubs the back of his hand and pouts. "You deserved that."

"Yeah, well, if you'd had Mom's cooking before, you'd be stealing a bite, too." 

Diana shakes the spoon menacingly in their direction. "All right, kids, behave yourselves. Kaidan, everyone's going to start arriving any minute now — I thought you two were going for a little hike before the house got too crazy?"

"We are," Kaidan agrees, leaning forward and kissing his mother on the cheek. "We'll be back soon." She nods and waves over her shoulder as they head out the door and down the steps off the wide porch.

It doesn't take them long to cross through the orchard, down the lane between two orderly rows of apple trees, headed for the low-rising hills beyond. Shepard takes a childlike enjoyment from stepping on dried leaves that crunch beneath the soles of her shoes, and Kaidan shakes his head at her, amused. When they come out on the far side, he points to a wide path leading up, which quickly narrows between the white trunks of the aspens covering this part of the hill.

They hike up the well-worn path lined with long grass, Shepard walking quietly, her mind touching on memories of growing up on Mindoir. What she had known of the planet had been flat and largely featureless, the land covered in farms and fields, without much to speak of by way of seasons. She's never seen trees in the array of colors around her, spring green changing to bright yellow, a few sprays of leaves in vivid orange visible further back from the path — even since leaving Mindoir for the Alliance, she's spent little time Earthside, and never anywhere like this. 

The path continues ascending in a long, lazy switchback until it finally ends at the top of a rise, not leaving them in a copse of trees as Shepard expected, but in a tiny meadow, providing her with a clear view of more hills marching into the distance, eventually becoming hazy mountains. From here, she can see that the entire landscape has been painted by autumn, the colors looking more muted from further away but no less beautiful. Dusky oranges and yellows streak through the dark green fir trees, punctuated by spots of brilliant red or, in a few cases, deep purple.

Shepard just stands in the meadow and drinks in the scene, saying nothing. Kaidan slips up behind her and wraps an arm around her waist, uses the other hand to point out particularly interesting features to her, making sure she doesn't miss a thing. After a while, he takes her by the hand and pulls her to the other side of the hill, looking back over where they just walked.

"See down there, those arbors we walked under?" he asks. She can just barely see them from here, tall arched structures of dark wood forming a border between the manicured lawn of the orchard house and the trees of the orchard itself. Kaidan told her they were once used for growing grapes, but right now they are bare, merely decoration.

"That's where I want to marry you," he declares. "Mom's going to start growing climbing flowers on them, it'll look great by next year, just perfect."

Picturing the arbors heavy with leafy green vines and bursting with colorful blooms, Shepard has to agree — it _would_ be beautiful. Nodding, she takes his hand, and squeezes it in her own. "It does sound perfect, but don't you think we should tell your mother we're engaged before we start planning a wedding in her backyard?"

"Don't worry, Shepard," he reassures her, "I have a plan." Tugging on her hand, he starts them back down the path towards home. "Come on, let's head back, the family will be showing up by now."

***

The instant she walks through the back door into the kitchen, her ears are assailed by noise from several directions. Beyond both doorways leading into the house, she can hear boisterous laughter and voices overlapping in conversation. Even the kitchen itself is aflutter with activity, people flitting to and fro like butterflies as they unpack more food, open cabinets in search of dishes, sort flatware into stacks on the table.

She freezes a little when faced with it all; she hasn't had any family to speak of since she was sixteen, and even with the energetic crew of the Normandy it was rare to have everyone on board in such close quarters all at once. Kaidan, sensing her hesitation, quickly introduces the two aunts and two of his cousins who are nearby. To their credit, nobody is starstruck by the famous Commander Shepard, and instead embrace her like just another member of the family.

They take a brief tour of the ground floor, stopping in each room so Kaidan can point out more cousins, some nearly his age and married with small children, some quite a bit younger. By the time they reach the sunny front porch and greet the last of the extended family, Shepard counts at least twenty people gathered in the house for the holiday.

After some time chatting with people on the porch, Shepard is starting to lose track of everyone she's met, but she is eventually saved by Diana calling the house to dinner. Finding her place close to the head of the table, she finally gets a good look at the result of everything that's been going on in the kitchen all day, and her stomach rumbles in response to the sight.

Taking pride of place is an enormous turkey, a delicious shade of brown and sprinkled with rosemary. Covering the table around it, an incredible variety of mouth-watering food is waiting to be enjoyed: a small dish of ruby red cranberry sauce is nestled up against an enormous bowl of mashed sweet potatoes; a large platter of roasted vegetables covered in a layer of buttery cracker crumbs threatens to push a basket of rolls off the table. Everything looks so amazing that Shepard vows to try every last thing she sees.

Diana kicks off the meal by carving the turkey, and suddenly the room is a flurry of dishes being called for and passed up and down the long tables set end-to-end, food being scooped onto plates, everyone taking their first taste and exclaiming with delight. She stays true to her word and has at least a few bites of everything, talking idly with Kaidan's cousin Rebecca and other family seated on their end of the table. 

The atmosphere is a little sad when Rebecca raises her glass to family members present in memory: an uncle, two cousins, and Kaidan's dad lost to the war. However, once the toast is made, talk turns to happier times spent with those who are no longer there, everyone laughing at the old stories that come up every year about them. About halfway through dinner, she spies Kaidan deep in whispered conversation with his mother; Diana is nodding firmly while his eyes flicker towards Shepard. 

Almost as quickly as the meal began, it slows to a snail's pace, everyone seeming to reach their breaking point at the same time. People start leaning back in their chairs, stretching, a few standing up to wander around after stuffing themselves silly. Shepard and Kaidan help clear the table and wash the dishes before they step outdoors to take a walk in the rapidly falling night. 

When they get back inside, they see the table is now set with smaller plates surrounding four perfect pies, the family regrouping in the dining room for dessert. Shepard rationalizes that since she tried every dish at dinner, she must do the same here, and receives a narrow sliver of each. The pumpkin is her favorite, cinnamon and ginger on her tongue long after she's finished, but she honestly loves all of them, and compliments the maker of each pastry on their skill.

Family members begin making their excuses to leave not long after the last slice of pie is polished off. Sleeping toddlers are bundled in blankets against the cold night air and carried away by their parents under a whisper of goodbyes. The younger cousins stay a little longer, poking at leftovers stowed in the refrigerator, but even they are soon gone, carrying away plates that have been made for them to enjoy tomorrow.

Diana herself is looking exhausted and a little frazzled when she turns back to them after the last guests have departed. Her black hair, streaked with gray, is starting to fall out of the elegant bun she has worn it in all day. Shepard helps her tidy up the last of the mess while Kaidan disappears upstairs for a few minutes; when everything in the kitchen is squared away, the three of them wish each other good night.

Back in their room, they get ready for bed, Shepard shivering from the chilly floor on her bare feet and hopping under the blanket. Kaidan, back in his sweats, dutifully rinses out the mugs of cold coffee from earlier that morning. She calls out to him to hurry up and get in so they can get warm, but instead she finds him on the side of the bed again, mirroring the position he was in when she woke up today. 

"All right, so tell me, how was Thanksgiving? It wasn't too nuts?"

She shakes her head and assures him that everything was wonderful — the food, the scenery, the company. But still, even though he nods in understanding, he stays in place, glancing down at the floor. He's working up to saying something, a bit hesitant.

"Look, Shepard," he begins carefully, "I know we said no rings, but I'd always planned to..." He holds out a narrow ring cast in a delicate, old-fashioned pattern, set with a small diamond. "It was my grandmother's. Will you wear it, at least while we're here at home? I understand if you don't want to while you're on duty—"

She cuts him off by leaning in for a kiss. "Of course I will, it's beautiful. This is what you were talking to your mom about?"

Nodding, he slides the ring onto her finger. "Now we can give her the good news officially in the morning." He holds her hand for a moment, watching the diamond sparkle in the light from the bedside lamp, then kisses her palm and holds it to his cheek, an echo of their reunion on the Citadel so long ago. After staying like that for a long moment, he switches out the light, lifts the covers and climbs into bed.

Although it's cold in the room, his hand is warm as it slides under her shirt, running over the curves of her hip, her waist, upward to the curve of her breast. His honeyed brown eyes never leave her deep blue ones as he brushes a thumb over her hardened nipple, then follows it with a sweep of his tongue. Tonight, his only aim seems to be to please her, his practiced fingers working her panties off, then touching her in all the ways he knows she loves. His eager kisses are focused on her lips, on her ear, on her throat.

He brings her to the edge, past it, with his hands, hands that are so familiar and safe to her. But he doesn't stop there — without pausing, he kisses his way down her body to do the same again, this time adding his soft lips and capable tongue to the mix. With Kaidan's mouth on her sensitive clit and his fingers slowly sliding in and out of her, she struggles not to cry out, and has to grip the headboard rail with one hand and the sheets with the other to stay quiet.

It's only after she has begun to come down from that second peak that he finally crawls up to rest above her, pinning her body down to the mattress with the weight of his own. He's lying between her legs, and she can feel his warm, hard cock against her thigh even as he holds himself back, leaning down to speak low in her ear.

"I want to be inside you," he murmurs, and she shifts her legs wider beneath him in invitation, encouraging him. With a long kiss, he pushes into her, fills her, and each of their moans are muffled by the other's lips. They soon pick up a slow but regular rhythm, one learned over years of lovemaking, each of his thrusts met with a rocking upward of her hips to allow him in even deeper.

Kaidan slips his arms under her, holding her, and buries his face in the crook of her neck while she wraps her arms around his broad shoulders. They move together, and when he starts getting close, he begins whispering against her skin, sounds of pleasure entwined with endearments and _I love you._ Although she doesn't know if he hears, she whispers it back, holding him tightly as he empties himself deep within her.

The bed complains beneath them as he rolls, tucking her against his side, taking her left hand in his again. Lacing his fingers with hers, he pulls them up to his lips, and the glow in him seems even more powerful now, made more intense by time spent together with their family and the deeper tie represented by the ring she wears. 

She feels it, too, like she's part of something again, so many years after losing her family on Mindoir. Her crew was like family to her, yes, but this feels different — a family that is both connected by blood and bound by the love they have for one another. Drifting off to sleep resting on Kaidan's shoulder, her last thought is that she's grateful for the years they have ahead of them to enjoy it.


End file.
